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Chelsea's Medical Journey

Chelsea has experienced health related issues since birth. Over the past 12 years she has had over 30 surgeries and has spent a lot of time in various hospitals. Chelsea has been diagnosed with pseudo obstruction, which has caused her to go into irreversible intestinal failure. Due to this condition, she is in need of a life saving small bowel transplant.

Since October of 2012 Chelsea has been TPN dependent, which means she has been unable to eat anything for the past 2 years and relies on IV feedings to live. This is not a long-term option, since TPN is very hard on the other organs in the body.

Chelsea is currently listed on the National Organ Transplant waiting list. The transplant operation will take place at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. After the surgery, Chelsea will need to stay in the hospital for 1-2 months, after which she will need to stay in the Pittsburgh area for an additional 6-8 months for post transplant care. Post transplant treatment will require life long medications and follow up care.

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant families are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. In Oxford, volunteers are raising funds for COTA in honor of transplant patients like local girl, Chelsea Wheeler.

Chelsea’s family has asked for assistance from the Children’s Organ Transplant Association. The organization’s priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. One hundred percent of all funds raised are used for patients’ transplant-related expenses.